Not Like This
by Illustriousgiraffe
Summary: Bumblebee was used to fighting for his life, but this was different. He didn't know if he could hold his own against the leader of the autobots. An alternate, more emotional version of the movie fight between Optimus and Bee. T for robot violence. SPOILERS ahead!


**While I thought the last knight was awesome I felt that they really could have had more genuine/emotional interactions between the transformers. I wrote this piece as a fix-it for the fight between Optimus and Bee, I thought that the conflict resolved itself too quickly and that a lot of history was missing between Bee and Optimus.**

 **When Bee's dialogue is bold it means he is using his radio to speak.**

 **Feedback is appreciated! Let me know what you think and if you have any requests!**

Bumblebee watched in horror as his leader stormed away from Cade and Vivian. What had come over Optimus? He had been gone for years and Bee had missed his old friend every day of it. But now the semi truck returned with such a fury, such rage, that Bumblebee wasn't sure he was Optimus anymore.

Bee had already started to run after Optimus as he heard Cade tell him to be like he had been during the war. Bee laughed nervously, Cade didn't know the half of it.

Bumblebee raced after Optimus, his peddes slipping every so often on the damp metal surface as the ship rocketed closer and closer to the surface. He wasn't going to let Optimus take the staff but more importantly he wasn't going to let whatever had control over Prime to keep him for much longer. Bee had lost enough family members.

Bee yanked himself halfway up onto the surface of the ship, watching as Optimus stalked across the surface of the roof. At that moment the ship surfaced forcefully and Bee almost lost his grip. As soon as he recovered he hauled himself up and approached Optimus cautiously.

" **Optimus** . . ." Bee ventured.

His leader turned, his purple optics locking with Bee's blue ones. The darkness Bumblebee saw reflected in those optics would haunt him till his dying day. He couldn't even describe it if he tried, all he could say is that was definitely not Optimus.

The not-Optimus stood eerily still. Bee risked a step forward and quickly discovered that it was the wrong move as the Prime lunged at him.

Bee was so shocked by the assault that his military training didn't kick in until he was being pummeled into the ground. Optimus Prime, leader of the autobots, the mech who had raised Bee as a son, was attacking him as though Bee was his mortal enemy. Try processing that while fighting a mech twice your size.

Bee's processor finally caught up with his body and before Optimus's fist could connect with his faceplates again he slid from beneath his attacker and jumped up behind him.

Bee backed up, still reluctant to harm Optimus. Apparently though, not taking each and every chance to attack your opponent is not a good battle strategy because before Bee knew it he was being flung hundreds of feet across the ship's surface. He landed face-first into the ground as pieces of yellow metal shattered off of the right side of his helm.

Bee pushed himself from the ground. " **Optimus . . . STOP!** " A child's voice cried. Bee had never wished harder than in that moment to have his voice back. He needed to be able to talk to Optimus, he needed to reach the real him which was trapped inside the monster that was currently running towards him.

Optimus transformed his arm into his massive plasma cannon as he ran. The ground shook with each pounding step and Bee panicked as he saw the cannon go off.

The plasma rounds hit him before he could fully stand and he was knocked down once again. Optimus was getting closer and closer but every time Bee tried to get back up he was shot down.

Finally, as the last round knocked a significant portion of his shoulder plating off and left a burning hole, something inside Bee snapped.

His chassis was leaking energon, the earth was in more danger than it had ever been, and the bot he looked up to most in the world was coming at him with a — Giant glowing sword. Primus!

Bee dove out of the way just in time, feeling the air beside him being sliced through with the gargantuan weapon. He landed in a crouching position and as Optimus turned toward him, yanking his sword from the dent it had made in the ground, Bee pulled down what was left of his battle mask. He was going to end this.

Bee grabbed his hammer from his back. Optimus swung straight for Bee's helm but the scout ducked and whacked the bigger bot square in the knees with his hammer. Optimus fell with a thud and Bee took the opportunity to tackle the red and blue bot and power up his own plasma cannon.

" **You don't have to do this** . . ." Bee implored. He lifted his battle mask. " **We are family**." Optimus's purple optics focused for an imperceptible flash and for one moment he stopped struggling. Bee almost allowed himself to become hopeful when he was thrown off of Optimus as the giant mech stood.

"We are nothing!" He charged towards Bee and stabbed at his stomach. Bee dodged. "You are standing between me —" Optimus struck Bee in the back of his kneel "—and the rebirth of my planet." Bumblee fell to one knee before his leader, looking up with pleading optics. "And for that—" Optimus raised his sword. "—you must die." Optimus brought the sword down and Bee flung his arm up in defense.

His arm screamed in agony as he rolled away from the looming figure of the Prime. As Bee stood, Optimus kicked him down again and pulled him from the ground by the door wings. He swung the yellow bot in a full circle before slamming Bee's back against his knee and ripping his door wings off in one swift move.

Bee let out a mechanical scream (the only noise his voice box was capable of making anymore) as white hot pain blinded him. He didn't even have time for his vision to clear as he was smashed to the ground once again. He could hear his armor breaking, he could feel every broken circuit on his body, he could taste the energon which was no doubt bubbling up in the back of his throat from internal bleeding. This couldn't be it though, he had to put up a fight for Optimus, for Earth. He would die trying.

Bee powered up both his arm cannons and fired directly at Optimus' face, allowing him to slip from the larger-mech's grip momentarily. Bee got to his feet, pulled his battle mask down and scooped his hammer up from where it had fallen. He circled optimus, firing non-stop rounds at the Prime.

As Optimus turned to face Bumblebee the scout lunged, hammer first, and clocked Optimus in the side of the helm, sending the Prime flying. He didn't let up this time, running towards the prone figure of his leader and bringing his hammer down on his chest. Optimus grabbed the hammer tough and used it to throw Bumblebee off balance. Optimus jumped to his feet, pinned Bee to the ground, pulled his arm back to unsheath his arm sword, and was about to make the fatal blow when he heard something.

"Optimus!" Bumblebee said, his face turned to the side and his optics tightly shut to avoid having his last memory be the horrible sight of the closest bot he had to family delivering a deadly blow.

Optimus paused, his arm still recoiled and ready to strike. Bee dared to open one optic after a moment's silence. Bumblebee barely noticed that he was speaking in his own voice, all he acknowledged was that he could now speak freely to the Prime "Optimus I'm you're oldest friend," Bee turned his helm to look at his leader's face, "I would lay down my life for you . . ." Optimus had frozen, he seemed confused, " . . . but don't make me do it like this."

Optimus sheathed his sword into his arm, his grip on Bee's shoulder's slackening. "Bumblebee? Your voice . . ." He said, sounding lost. He wasn't making optic contact.

"Optim—"

A bellowing yell interrupted Bumblebee as Optimus grabbed the sides of his helm and stumbled back. "I can't . . . fight it." His voice was beginning to sound rougher, more enraged.

Bee saw the opportunity and jumped to his feet, trying to ignore the fact that the movement had nearly caused him to shut down from a pain-overload. Bee was venting heavily but he forced himself to speak. "Optimus, you are the strongest mech I know." He ventured a step forward. "You have to fight."

Optimus locked optics with him, seeming to stare right through him. "I —"

Bee hesitantly, slowly put a gentle servo on the Prime's arm. "For Earth."

Optimus's eyes flicker between colors and just as suddenly as he seemed to snap from his evil daze he activates his arm sword and stabs Bee's side, sinking the blade in deep.

Bee doubles over in pain, falling to his knees. He struggles to look up at Optimus. The Prime has retrieved his long sword from where it lay. Bumblebee bows his helm down in defeat. As the sword begins its deadly arc towards Bee's neck, he says, in barely a whisper: "For me."

The sword stops millimeters from his neck, Bumblebee's pain receptors ebb erratically from the proximity. There is a metallic clang as the sword falls to the ground. Bumblebee dares not look up. He doesn't think he will be able to face Optimus turning on him again. He can't allow himself to hope until he knows for sure that Optimus is back.

Optimus emits a low groan. "What — what have I done?"

The huge bot falls to one knee in front of Bee, who has now collapsed completely. "Bumblebee." He says in a mixture of pure horror and absolute disbelief.

Bee can barely make sense of visual images with the blinding pain he is feeling but when he feels the miniscule movement of a servo cradling his helm he knows that his leader, the real Optimus is closeby.

Bee hears a mournful "forgive me" as he tries to focus on the world around him. He manages to look at Optimus. Even though every part of him is in pain Bee feels only joy when he sees those shining blue optics.

"That may take a while," Bee struggles to say, "but primus am I glad you are back."


End file.
